Flight Attendant Featured On “Extreme Cheapskates”

I admit my taste in TV is really, really bad. I just love something that’s easy to watch and ridiculous, because it’s the only way my brain will turn off. That’s why I love Real Housewives. A few months back I became obsessed with the show 90 Day Fiancé, and I’ve now seen every episode of the show, and hope it comes back for another season. If you’ve never seen 90 Day Fiancé, here’s a clip that should give you an idea of what the show is like:

It made me realize that TLC as a network is right up my alley. Well, in the past few days I’ve become obsessed with Extreme Cheapskates, which is a show about people who are obsessed with saving money. To be clear, these are largely pretty well off people who just get a high out of scoring a deal, in the same way we do with miles. They do things like peeing in bottles so they don’t have to waste water, getting food out of the trash so they don’t have to pay for it themselves, and not furnishing their houses, because it’s cheaper that way.

I’ve seen a handful of episodes so far, and there’s one that I just had to share. It confuses me on so many levels. Specifically, it’s about a “cheapskate” who is a flight attendant for a major US airline. Here’s a little teaser:

And the whole segments is the first 12 minutes of this video, if you’re so inclined:

The stuff she does is insane. She takes the half eaten nuts from the plane. She takes the leftover meals from the plane. She takes stuff from the airport lost & found. She creates her blankets at home by sewing together a bunch of airplane blankets, and creates her mattress pad by sewing together airline pillows. She takes the pillowcases from the plane and turns them into coffee filters (which she claims saves her a whopping $6 per year).

That doesn’t even scratch the surface, given what she does at the end of the episode.

The most amazing part of this? She filmed the entire episode in uniform.

Suffice to say this has been my favorite “Extreme Cheapskates” so far, and I feel like a lot of other airline nerds would appreciate it, even if they don’t otherwise watch this show.

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About luckyBen Schlappig (aka Lucky) is a travel consultant, blogger, and avid points collector.
He travels about 400,000 miles a year, primarily using miles and points to fund his first class experiences.
He chronicles his adventures, along with industry news, here at One Mile At A Time.

Comments

No wonder she’s still a FA, she doesn’t understand that time is money. I don’t iron my shirts when they cost only $2 at the dry cleaner. I do wash and fold my dress pants as they cost $7 each at the cleaner.

I don’t know if this qualifies as extreme cheap skating but here goes. One time I took the breadsticks from a used dinner tray in a hotel hallway (outside someone’s room on the floor). The breadsticks were still sealed in their package anyway and I was feeling a bit peckish. It was late at night and I admit I’d had a few pints before this!

@Charlie McMillan I’ve been so tempted to do things like that SO MANY TIMES. I, too, typically return to my room after a few, and people often leave so much food. I don’t consider myself cheap…just often drunk and hungry. Haven’t yet been able to bring myself to do it, though. If I saw something in an unopened package I’d go for it.

Not sure if she’s ‘lucky’ or not to be able to take advantage of such ‘perks’. But most airlines have strict (VERY strict) rules about ‘misappropriation’. If BA crew are caught removing an uneaten First Class steak, a half eaten bag of nuts of a well used and abused blanket or pillow case they’d be sacked for sure.

You can tell the segments on the 90-Day-Fiance were filmed at different times because of her differing lips. IDK why but *young* Russian ladies are feeling the need for faker lips (I see it a lot in areas with Russian tourists).

Interesting, because at least here in The Netherlands, if you would take stuff home from work (even perishable food items that would otherwise have been thrown away), it’s a one way ticket to getting fired. There’s even a famous case in which a KLM flight attendant was fired for eating a half-opened pack of peanuts after work; the court agreed with KLM that she should be thrown out.

The above case was a third party cleaner and not airline staff , however in another case a court in Haarlem decided the company would not be correct in dismissing the employee for such a trivial incident considering the long term effects

So you agree all edible perishables should be disposed of ? You know that over 25% of food purchased in the West is thrown away when it’s perfectly edible

If there is food left over after a flight it normally cannot be recycled for use on another therefore staff should be able to take it.

Unless she got permission from the airline she works for to do this piece, she could be fired for this. We got a say in my airline that says “what came on the plane, stays on the plane.” Taking anything off the plane, it is considered stealing from the company and that is a “fireable” offense. Even if it is perishable items, crews are not to take anything off the plane. Again, it is based on each airline and their policy. Good luck to her… but I think it is pathetic… I do not eat anything on the plane… I bring my own food. Airplane food makes most people bloated (too much salt) and too many preservatives. When you fly internationally next time, look at the expiration date of the economy meal (which is on top ob the label). Usually is 10 to 12 months from the day it is served as well as the bread roll. For a chicken with rice or lasagna to last that long it must be floating in preservatives…. do I want those chemicals inside my body? Do not think so! Even as a regular passenger, I bring my own food. Feel better, sleep better at my destination and my body and digestive system appreciates it.

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